Liu Gang of Tiangang: Thinking Globally, Forging a Quality Tiangang

 HC Plastics Network news: Tiangang, an ancient star name, refers to the handle of the Big Dipper, standing in the north to indicate direction.
    Whether now or in the future, whether for an enterprise or an individual, without direction there is no future; only with a clear direction can related problems be solved more clearly, and the path ahead be long. Just like the current complex and volatile chemical market environment, if an enterprise wants to survive and develop and step into a larger market space, it needs a clear, wise development vision and a decisive strategic decision to help the enterprise make a brilliant turn at a critical moment. Today we walked into an enterprise that is making such a turn — Beijing Tiangang Auxiliary Co., Ltd., and had an in-depth face-to-face exchange with Mr. Liu Gang (hereinafter referred to as "General Manager Liu"), Deputy General Manager of Tiangang Auxiliary, feeling Tiangang's "busy" 2017 and the thoughts of Tiangang's leaders on the future of Tiangang Auxiliary.  
Yesterday
Liu Gang, Deputy General Manager of Beijing Tiangang Auxiliary Co., Ltd.
    From May 16 to 19, 2017, Beijing Tiangang appeared at CHINAPLAS 2017 with its original "targeted nano-enhancement" technology, causing quite a stir; on June 13, 2017, Beijing Tiangang was awarded the title of "China Plastics Weathering Technology Laboratory," becoming the first key laboratory of the China Plastics Processing Industry Association serving the specialized field of weathering and anti-aging technology. On September 13, 2017, Beijing Tiangang announced a strategic cooperation with Clariant (a world-leading fine chemicals and additives enterprise) and joined hands to build world-class production facilities…… Tiangang took these steps in a compact yet orderly manner. 2017 was "busy" for Tiangang, but behind this busyness it is not difficult to see that Tiangang achieved gratifying results and is realizing its dreams.
    To forge iron, one must be strong oneself
    As a national high-tech enterprise focusing on R&D and production of high-performance polymer additives, Tiangang has always held that talent is the greatest wealth of an enterprise. Long-term talent accumulation has allowed Tiangang to build a high-level R&D team composed of multiple PhDs, masters, and senior engineers, dedicated to applied research on polymer material weathering technology and additive production technology. It has established a "Polymer Material Anti-Aging Technology R&D Center" in Beijing, and this year was awarded the title of "China Plastics Weathering Technology Laboratory," becoming the first key laboratory of the China Plastics Processing Industry Association serving the specialized field of weathering and anti-aging technology. The strong research team has also given Tiangang's products a high reputation in both domestic and international markets, and a leading position in key markets, with products exported to Europe, North America, Asia, and many other major countries and regions, and selected by many internationally renowned enterprises.
    The "busy" 2017, the advancing Beijing Tiangang
    The obsession with and persistence in technological innovation have kept Tiangang at the forefront of the industry, and more than 20 years of development have also let Tiangang experience the huge driving force of technological innovation for enterprise development. Therefore, Tiangang has never stopped seeking new technologies. But as an enterprise highly integrated with the world, Tiangang has never had a closed mindset. Win-win cooperation can create a brand-new situation. Starting from taking a stake in TainaKe and becoming its major shareholder, Tiangang has increased its cooperation model with like-minded enterprises. Mr. Luo Daoyou, founder of TainaKe, has studied targeted nano-enhancement technology for seven years; this technology mainly produces plastic additives in a special way, which can effectively increase rigidity and toughness, improve fluidity and processability, and reduce scrap rates, bringing comprehensive performance improvements to plastics, while the high-efficiency anti-mold and anti-fungal technology provides more new possibilities for fabrics and plastics. The strong combination of Tiangang and TainaKe undoubtedly caused quite a stir in the plastics industry. When the launched targeted nano-enhancement technology appeared on the CHINAPLAS 2017 technical podium and created a strong attraction, the fruits of cooperation and the great charm of technology were evident.
    To solve aging problems more professionally, Tiangang focused on specialization. In June 2017, the first "China Plastics Weathering Technology Laboratory" was officially inaugurated at Tiangang Auxiliary. General Manager Liu explained the great significance of this laboratory: "This laboratory was established under the leadership of the China Plastics Processing Association; its core purpose is to serve domestic plastic product enterprises and provide some help in research on product lifespan. For a single enterprise to do plastic weathering research alone requires high investment, takes a long time, and has a low input-output ratio. Tiangang building a weathering testing and research laboratory is like an optimized resource, integrating industry-related knowledge and experience, which can help enterprises avoid many detours in product-lifespan research. At the same time, we will broaden our perspective to provide relevant enterprises with technical service support, use laboratory data aggregation to help customers optimize their formulations through experimental results, and put forward professional suggestions to help customers solve pain points in actual production."
    To achieve creative breakthroughs, Tiangang opened cooperation with world giants. On September 13, 2017, Beijing Tiangang announced a strategic cooperation with Clariant (a world-leading fine chemicals and additives enterprise) and joined hands to build world-class production facilities. This explosive news immediately triggered widespread discussion at home and abroad. On this, General Manager Liu explained in detail: Clariant is a leading enterprise in the international fine-chemical production field; its most advanced production technology and management experience are worth learning from. This cooperation will combine Tiangang's production experience to introduce Clariant's most high-end additive products from Switzerland and Germany into China, filling the gaps in domestic chemical fiber and automotive modified-plastic additives, and will play a role in promoting the localization of high-end additives.
    At the same time, General Manager Liu emphasized that against the background of gradually strengthening environmental requirements, our new production project will be located in the national-level chemical industrial park in Cangzhou, planning 300 mu of land, with the first phase of 200 mu to be put into production in early 2019. The new industrial project will make Tiangang more high-end, scientific, and specialized. Together with the current Daxing and Gu'an production bases, it will both solve the raw-material supply problem and facilitate the steady development of the region, forming a broader and deeper industrial layout.
    Formulating a talent plan with "people" as the foundation for long-term driving force
    General Manager Liu said: "Since its founding, Tiangang has regarded talent as the greatest wealth of the enterprise." Indeed, Tiangang's technological progress over the years and the establishment of its leading position in the industry are inseparable from the driving force of talent for enterprise development, so Tiangang's leaders will spare no effort to formulate a long-term talent strategy. Thus, the Tiangang · TainaKe joint scholarship at Beijing University of Chemical Technology came into being. This scholarship mainly targets graduate students, with more emphasis on students with limited family conditions, encouraging them to achieve results in basic research and sustained R&D, and students who perform well in school have the opportunity to join Tiangang and TainaKe directly, helping Tiangang attract more talent and improve enterprise competitiveness, and also facilitating cooperation between Tiangang and the college on some projects. At the same time, General Manager Liu revealed a detail: when Dean Zhang Liqun of the School of Materials of Beijing University of Chemical Technology visited Tiangang, he immediately decided to set up a "graduate training base" at Tiangang, which was a surprise to Tiangang but more of a recognition. This not only shows Tiangang's attention to talent but also shows that Tiangang has the quality soil to cultivate talent. On this, General Manager Liu said with relief: "As the country moves from Made in China to Created in China, talent cultivation is indispensable; creation is to explore unknown fields and is a matter requiring long-term investment, and Tiangang will do this win-win thing for the long term."
    Firmly determined goals and unwavering core
    From 1991 to now, Tiangang has gone through more than 20 years of development, experiencing too many difficulties and challenges along the way, but also gaining a good reputation in the domestic photo-anti-aging field. Its profound industry experience enables it to judge the industry's future more accurately, and its accumulated advantages in technology and management allow it to respond to market changes. Having deeply cultivated the additive field for years, General Manager Liu sees the market situation more clearly and thoroughly. The domestic additive market faces some problems: many domestic additive enterprises still adopt a "copycat" approach, taking ready-made things to produce, copying whatever exists abroad, and gaining the market by virtue of cost advantages. But the current environment is more complex; the gradual tightening of national environmental policies, soaring raw material prices, and increasing international integration have also raised product requirements, so for additive enterprises the current period is an important time of transformation. But Tiangang has always been making full preparations for the future. On the future, General Manager Liu said affirmatively: "Tiangang's main future development direction is still in the R&D of anti-photo-aging and the treatment of production waste." Indeed, the trust of customers over the years is the result of Tiangang's original intention of adhering to anti-photo-aging and its professional dedication, which is also the key to Tiangang's success. Regarding environmental protection, Tiangang attached great importance very early; in fact, no one understands waste better than a chemical plant. Tiangang invested a lot of money and energy in this matter a few years ago. Tiangang's goal is to be an international-level large enterprise and to build a century-old enterprise, because many international large enterprises are already surrounded by green mountains and clear water; Tiangang deeply understands the profound meaning of this, so Tiangang also wants to realize the green mountains and clear water around itself, which is the enterprise's "gold and silver mountain."
    Summary:
    General Manager Liu's early study-abroad experience brought him into close contact with more advanced science and technology in the world and made him aware of the huge gap between our related industries and the world's top technology. At the same time, having been exposed to both Chinese and Western cultures, General Manager Liu can see the current situation more clearly and understand it better. On the basis of the country's gradual strengthening, our national sense of responsibility and mission has also become stronger, prompting General Manager Liu to firmer believe in the great significance of revitalizing the enterprise and the country through science and technology, and also hoping to transmit the industry he is engaged in — anti-photo-aging — from Made in China to Created in China as soon as possible, and transmit it to the whole world.
    With clear goals, Tiangang steadily and firmly advanced through the busy 2017, walking so solidly and firmly that we have confidence to look forward to a more substantial future for Tiangang.